Serotonin Syndrome is a condition brought on by having too much of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the body. Although serotonin syndrome is treatable, it can be fatal, so symptoms need to be recognized right away.

Two studies are shedding new light on the most common type of ‘friend’ to be unfriended on Facebook and their emotional responses to it. The studies show that the most likely person to be unfriended is a high school acquaintance. Both studies were based on a survey of 1,077 people conducted on Twitter.

Women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) gain weight more rapidly and are more likely to be overweight or obese than women without the disorder, find researchers. It is the first study to look at the relationship between PTSD and obesity over time.

Stress, isolation take toll on those under 50 with HIV; older people fare better

Researchers were surprised to learn that people younger than 50 years old with HIV feel more isolated and stressed than older people with the disease. They expected their study to reveal just the opposite.

Fat metabolism in animals altered to prevent most common type of heart disease

Working with mice and rabbits, scientists have found a way to block abnormal cholesterol production, transport and breakdown, successfully preventing the development of atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks and strokes and the number-one cause of death among humans. The condition develops when fat builds inside blood vessels over time and renders them stiff, narrowed and hardened, greatly reducing their ability to feed oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle and the brain.

Parents and physicians concerned about an increase in adolescents’ marijuana use following the legalization of medical marijuana can breathe a sigh of relief. According to a new study that compared 20 years worth of data from states with and without medical marijuana laws, legalizing the drug did not lead to increased use among adolescents.

Children significantly more likely to develop PTSD if mother afflicted

While fewer than 10 percent (8.4 percent) of the mothers were suffering from PTSD, more than a fifth (21 percent) of their children presented PTSD symptoms in a recent study on the topic. Children who developed PTSD symptoms also had more psychosomatic complaints such as constipation, diarrhea and headaches.

A new article reports that among older Christians, listening to religious music is associated with a decrease in anxiety about death and increases in life satisfaction, self-esteem, and sense of control over their lives. In particular, listening to gospel music is associated with a decrease in anxiety about death and an increase in sense of control.

Binge drinking has such a negative effect on wound healing, and a new study is designed to find out why. Binge alcohol exposure significantly reduced levels of key components of the immune system involved in healing, the study found. Alcohol increases the risk of infections in the hospital, including surgical site infections. Patients with surgical-site infections are hospitalized for twice as long, have a higher rate of re-admission and are twice as likely to die as patients who did not binge drink.

Love is a many-faceted thing: Regular churchgoers and married people most satisfied with their love life

Scientists found that a combination of factors such as age, religious involvement, marital status and love style (e.g. manipulative or playful), influence a person’s love satisfaction. While education does not impact a person’s love life satisfaction, religious involvement does.

When mothers are exposed to trauma, illness, alcohol or other drug abuse, these stressors may activate a single molecular trigger in brain cells that can go awry and activate conditions such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and some forms of autism. Until now, it has been unclear how much these stressors have impacted the cells of a developing brain. Past studies have shown that when an expectant mother exposes herself to alcohol or drug abuse or she experiences some trauma or illness, her baby may later develop a psychiatric disorder later in life. But the new findings identify a molecular mechanism in the prenatal brain that may help explain how cells go awry when exposed to certain environmental conditions.

When mothers are exposed to trauma, illness, alcohol or other drug abuse, these stressors may activate a single molecular trigger in brain cells that can go awry and activate conditions such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and some forms of autism. Until now, it has been unclear how much these stressors have impacted the cells of a developing brain. Past studies have shown that when an expectant mother exposes herself to alcohol or drug abuse or she experiences some trauma or illness, her baby may later develop a psychiatric disorder later in life. But the new findings identify a molecular mechanism in the prenatal brain that may help explain how cells go awry when exposed to certain environmental conditions.

In a study of crimes committed by people with serious mental disorders, only 7.5 percent were directly related to symptoms of mental illness, according to new research. Researchers analyzed 429 crimes committed by 143 offenders with three major types of mental illness and found that 3 percent of their crimes were directly related to symptoms of major depression, 4 percent to symptoms of schizophrenia disorders and 10 percent to symptoms of bipolar disorder.

When mothers are exposed to trauma, illness, alcohol or other drug abuse, these stressors may activate a single molecular trigger in brain cells that can go awry and activate conditions such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and some forms of autism. Until now, it has been unclear how much these stressors have impacted the cells of a developing brain. Past studies have shown that when an expectant mother exposes herself to alcohol or drug abuse or she experiences some trauma or illness, her baby may later develop a psychiatric disorder later in life. But the new findings identify a molecular mechanism in the prenatal brain that may help explain how cells go awry when exposed to certain environmental conditions.

If you are trying to quit smoking, one method to incorporate is to do new, exciting “self-expanding” activities that can help with nicotine craving. This is the take-home message from a new study. “Our study reveals for the first time using brain imaging that engaging in exciting or what we call ‘self-expanding’ activities, such as puzzle-solving, games, or hobbies with one’s partner, appears to reduce craving for nicotine,” said one researcher.

The only difference between a heterosexual person with bipolar disorder and a bisexual with the same mental illness, says guest author Lily, is that the bisexual lives with an additional label – and the additional difficulties and stigma attached to that label.

DNA can already tell us the sex and ancestry of unknown individuals, but now an international team of researchers is beginning to connect genetics with facial features, degrees of femininity and racial admixture. The researchers looked at both actual physical face shape and genetic markers of face shape.

Tooth loss from caries and periodontal disease is an outcome from complex, chronic conditions. Several biopsychosocial factors are involved, including accessing care. Individuals reporting dental anxiety may avoid dental care; and individuals with depression may be negligent in self-care. In this study, researchers examined a potential association of tooth loss with depression and anxiety.

Community action not enough to reduce problem drinking and related harms

Implementation of community-based interventions alone is unlikely to be effective for reducing most alcohol-related harms and risky alcohol consumption, according to a new study. Alcohol-related crime, road-traffic crashes, and hospital inpatient admissions did not differ between communities that did and did not implement community-based interventions, according to new research.

There are important parallels between the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the current epidemic of opioid addiction — ones that could trigger a significant shift in opioid addiction prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Researchers detail how the HIV/AIDS epidemic spurred a public health approach centered on human rights, which included biomedical breakthroughs and life-saving treatment. Fast forward 30 years and the response to HIV/AIDS has attracted an unprecedented commitment of resources and international aid. Researchers assert that a parallel response is needed in response to the epidemic of addiction.

Unplugging means liberating your mind from the narrow constraints of digital prejudice — that is the (I am generalizing and going over the top here, but for a point) notion that gamification will bring world peace, cure disease, solve world hunger and fix the environment… You get my point.

Big Data is actually being applied to real world problems — as it should be — from urban planning to the environment to viral epidemics and beyond — not just to change your life because someone retargets you with the item you passed over yesterday…

Bottom line: Unplugging clears your mind, opens up new paths for problem solving, creates new and exciting relationships between ideas and ultimately drives the best use of technology.

Unplug — try it — listen:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

As free as we think we are, we have tethered ourselves to a vision of doing that is being driven by others.